


Turning Page

by lalunaoscura



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: And angst..., And relationship is HARDER, Cause dealing with grieving is hard, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2019-12-29
Packaged: 2021-02-19 09:14:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22008613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lalunaoscura/pseuds/lalunaoscura
Summary: Chat had to rip off his father’s brooch.He threw the object towards Ladybug, causing the wall next to her to cataclysm and vanish.Ladybug tried to stop him by shouting at him to wait for her. For a second–a fraction of a second–she thought about releasing Gabriel and the brooch and going after Chat. No, this wasn't just Chat Noir. This was Adrien. He was her best friend, her partner, and the love of her life.But police’s sirens pierced through the air and stopped her from going after him.Gabriel Agreste was arrested, and his son, Adrien, moved away from Paris on the same day.The moment that Chat left running in tears was the last time that Marinette saw Adrien... until he walked into her parents’ bakery ten years later.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 29
Kudos: 295





	Turning Page

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Christmas, my fandom family! I hope you all enjoy, I made this to thank you all for the help, support and love <3
> 
> Thank you, Aleson, for the help with the translation <3

_Your love is my turning page_

_Where only the sweetest words remain_

* * *

Everything had happened too quickly.

Papillon was at their feet, and Ladybug’s yo-yo strings were wrapped around him. While she stood close to her partner, Chat held his cataclysm right in front of Papillon’s face.

“Surrender,” Chat said, “Surrender, father!”

Saying that was pointless. Gabriel Agreste was a determined man, and as much as Chat – actually, _Adrien_ – begged, he wouldn’t give in.

Chat had to rip off his father’s brooch.

He threw the object towards Ladybug, causing the wall next to her to cataclysm and vanish.

Ladybug tried to stop him by shouting at him to wait for her. For a second–a fraction of a second–she thought about releasing Gabriel and the brooch and going after Chat. No, this wasn't just Chat Noir. This was Adrien. He was her best friend, her partner, and the _love_ of her life.

But police’s sirens pierced through the air and stopped her from going after him.

Gabriel Agreste was arrested, and his son, Adrien, moved away from Paris on the same day.

The moment that Chat left running in tears was the last time that Marinette saw Adrien...until he walked into her parents’ bakery ten years later.

*

When Marinette woke up that morning, she never imagined that today would be the day that she would see Adrien again after a decade.

Despite everyone telling her to move on, she still thought about him every day. She was a 28-year-old woman who'd achieved success by opening a boutique and fulfilling commissions. She was living her dream. She was creating her own clothes. She could date whomever she wanted and do whatever she wanted. Marinette could have easily moved on and left the past behind.

But she couldn’t do it. Her still intact miraculous box – except for the black cat ring – wouldn’t let her move on. The fact that she couldn’t have been by Adrien’s side slowly ate away at her for years. She wanted nothing more than to help him move on, but she was stuck seeing him exclusively on news. Her heart broke a little more every time she saw the famous Adrien Agreste's face flash across her screen, despite his father’s bad name.

She always thought that she had failed.

Sometimes she missed him, and other times she hated herself for thinking that she had failed him. Then the anger came. She was angry because he’d left her, even though he'd promised many times that he would never do that. She was angry because he’d said that he loved her, and then he abandoned her. Adrien had promised that he would always be by her side, but when she needed him the most, he turned his back on her and left.

He’d left without a trace. She had nothing left of him to hold onto. He didn’t leave anything behind but her, the promises he'd made, and the love that he'd sworn would be endless.

Once the anger passed, the sadness came. She was sad because she knew she would never see him again. She was sad because she knew that he didn’t care about her. She was sad because she knew that he’d rather live alone than being by her side...instead of facing it all together. She knew that what he had been through hadn't been easy; however, this hadn't been easy for her either, and she had no connection whatsoever to Gabriel Agreste.

All of her expectations that they could go through it together had been in vain.

Sometimes she asked herself what would have happened if she had gone after him on that night. She imagined that they could have been married by now, liked they had planned. Marinette wondered if they would already have children at this point. She imagined a world where they would have put up the Christmas tree on the previous night together (instead of she doing it by herself).

Grunting, she turned in her bed. She didn’t want to get up and pretend that everything was okay. On most days it was no problem, but Christmas always bothered her because it was meant to be a time for family. Even though she had her parents and her friends, it was never the same without Adrien.

Reaching out, she grabbed her cellphone from the desk next to her bed. She tapped the screen and saw that there were two messages: one from Alya asking if she wanted to have breakfast together and another one from Alicia, her employee, asking if she would come by the store today.

Answering affirmatively both of them, Marinette got up and started her morning routine. After getting ready, she checked to see if her phone, keys, and wallet were in her purse. Then, like she did every morning, she also checked her safe to see if the miraculous box was there. Finally, she made sure that the necklace with the engagement ring that Adrien had gotten her on her eighteenth birthday was hidden securely under her clothes.

She looked at herself in the mirror and made sure that the dark circles from the countless nights she laid awake were well hidden under the make-up she'd applied that morning. She then took a deep breath and put her hair behind her ear and brushed it. There was no sign of the earrings that she used to wear.

She had chosen to keep the ladybug earrings in the miraculous box because she could see how much Plagg’s absence had affected Tikki. This was seen not only with her mood but with her powers, as well. They balanced each other out, just like Marinette and Adrien did for each other. Without the presence of their respective other halves, both holder and kwami felt it.

Wanting to stop the kwami from feeling so much pain (and the fact that Tikki herself had asked to remain in the miraculous box) Marinette had removed her earrings. She missed having Tikki by her side every day, but she knew that her Kwami was well and safe. She took comfort in knowing that Tikki was helping Nooroo and Duusuu get used to being back with the others after spending many years away from the other Kwamis.

There were even times when she allowed herself to put on the earrings for a few moments just so she could see her old friend. They would sit happily while they both ate cookies and talked.

Plagg and Adrien were never mentioned during these conversations, however.

Closing her eyes, Marinette pushed away her sad thoughts. Today was Christmas Eve, and she was forbidding herself from feeling sad. As a result, she put a smile on her face before leaving home.

*

Breakfast with Alya was fun and delicious. Even though her friend was feeling a bit sick from the pregnancy, they laughed and talked about names for Alya’s baby.

When they said goodbye, Alya suggested splitting a taxi, since she was heading to a place close to Marinette’s shop.

“Oh, don’t worry, girl. I have to stop by the post office first,” Marinette said, hanging her purse on her shoulder.

“Are you sending another letter to Adrien?” Alya asked, trying to sound relaxed, but Marinette knew she judging her. “He never answers you. You really should forget about him. You'll be happier if you do.”

Nothing bothered Marinette more than when her friends talked about Adrien and how she should move on.

“I’m going to keep sending letters to him. They never came back, so someone is receiving them.”

“It may not be him, girl." Alya cringed. “Marinette, you know I’m just worried about you, right?” She patted her friend’s hand in an attempt to keep Marinette from rising and raging like she had done so many times over the years.

“I don’t want to move on, Alya. I love Adrien, and a love like this doesn’t go away easily. You above all people should understand. It’s kind of like if I asked you to forget about Nino.”

“If Nino had abandoned me for no reason and not had responded to me for ten years, I would have tried to forget about him.”

“My relationship with Adrien is different,” she said for the thousandth time.

Alya would never understand because she didn’t know Marinette hadn’t lost just Adrien. She had lost Chat Noir too.

All in one day, Ladybug had lost Chat Noir, and Marinette had lost Adrien.

“Fine.” Alya raised her hands in surrender. She knew it was pointless to argue with Marinette and would only hurt her more. “I hope this time he answers you.”

“Me too,” Marinette sighed.

“Let’s share the cab. We can stop at the post office on the way.” Alya took her friend’s hand, smiling.

Marinette smiled back and placed her head on Alya’s shoulder. “I miss him, Alya. Even though I know I shouldn’t miss him.”

“We all miss him, girl,” Alya replied, “All of us.”

*

After sending her letter, Marinette said goodbye to Alya and went to her shop. She and Alicia spent the day wrapping commissions as customers came to pick them up. Most of them had ordered Christmas and Santa-inspired outfits.

The day was so busy that Marinette didn’t succumb to any of the sad thoughts she had earlier. She was too busy to even think.

At the end of the day, she said goodbye to Alicia, wished her a Merry Christmas, and ran to her parents’ bakery to work until 9:00 p.m. (That way her parents could go to bed early and rest.)

The bakery had been inundated with customers on Christmas Eve, so Marinette knew her parents were probably exhausted. That's why instead of going over to Alix's house to celebrate with the girls, she chose to work the night shift at the bakery. Her parents had earned some much-needed rest.

She smiled brightly, served happily, and chatted nicely with customers by wishing them a “Merry Christmas”. When the shift was over, she closed the door and turned the sign from “we’re open” to “closed.” She didn't lock the door yet because she still had to use it. She pulled down the window blinds and began to organize and clean the bakery.

Just as she was about to finish, she heard the door slam open.

“Sorry, we’re closed!” Marinette said quietly to the client who ignored the “closed” sign on the door, her head bowed as she cleared off a table.

“I was hoping you might make an exception for me?”

That voice.

It’s the same voice she'd heard every day since she was 13, but it was now a little more mature. It was the voice that haunted her dreams, that took her breath away, that could make her heart beat faster and turn legs turn to jelly.

She clenched her fists, her fingers turning white as she tried not to faint.

Marinette turned towards the door...and there stood Adrien Agreste, and he was looking at her.

He was older and taller, his hair shorter and a beard covered his cheeks and chin.

But his eyes were the same green that she remembered from years ago.

“Hello, my lady.”

She felt the first tear run down her cheek.

She didn’t know how much she missed his voice and her nickname until she heard it.

Trembling, she approached him, still not believing that after 10 years, he was there, standing in front of her. She got close to him, but he didn’t move. She was craving his touch. She was dying to caress his cheek and lean in to hug him and lose herself in his arms and warmth. She was even wishing to punch that perfect mouth of his so that he would feel the pain that she felt all these years.

But she couldn’t do that. She feared that if she touched him, he would disappear just as he always did in her dreams.

Feeling her anguish and misinterpreting it, Adrien drew back a little. By reflex, Marinette grabbed his wrist and held it.

“No. Don’t go. Don’t leave me again,” she begged, her voice cracking on the last sentence.

“I don’t intend to leave you ever again, princess.”

“It’s you,” she whispered, placing her hands on his cheek. Adrien closed his eyes. A content and a relieved sigh left his lips as she approached him, leaving only a small layer of air between their bodies. “You’re here. You came back to me.”

“I came back, my lady. I’m sorry it took so long.”

“You’re _here_.” she cried, hugging him tightly.

He reciprocated with the same intensity, losing himself in her arms like she was in his. They cried as they hugged each other. The memories of all their fights, their laughs, their conversations, their kisses, their love, and all their moments together enveloped them.

They were shaking and crying. They did their best to calm down. After a while, Adrien took her face in his hands and kissed beneath each eye slowly, tasting the salt of her tears.

“I won’t leave you again, my lady,” he promised.

She nodded and touched his face with her fingertips, stroking him as she tried to memorize the new face of her old love.

“We need to talk,” she said finally.

“We do.”

“I’m going to finish closing the bakery and we can go to my house, all right?”

“Perfect.”

Her heart skipped a beat upon seeing the smile he gave her.

With Adrien’s help, she finished cleaning the bakery (even though she'd told him that it wasn’t necessary). She and Adrien then quickly put on their coats and scarves before walking out into the cold Paris night. Marinette quickly locked the bakery door behind her.

“So where are you living?” he asked.

“A few blocks from here,” she said, nodding at the path they should take, “Can we go walking or…”

“Or we could go by car,” he said, pulling out his key, “Shall we go?”

“Oh, sure,” she nodded, following him to his car, “When did you arrive in Paris?”

“An hour before going to the bakery. I would have come to see you sooner, but it took a little longer than I expected to rent the car,” he said, opening the door so she could get in.

Marinette blushed, remembering his chivalry as she got into the car. He closed the door, and after a few seconds, he got in the car, too.

“Do you need it to be warmer?” he asked as he saw her trying to warm her hands.

“Yes, I’m forever a cold bug.”

He laughed and leaned against her side as he adjusted the heater. As he pressed a few buttons, she gasped at the sight of the miraculous still on his finger.

“What?” he asked, confused.

“Your miraculous. You still use it.”

“Ah,” he said, taking a look at the miraculous. “Yes, I do. It was the only way I was able to feel like I was still around you somehow.”

She noticed his eyes scan her ears for a few seconds.

“But yours…”

“Ah,” she said, rubbing one of her ear lobes, feeling it naked as usual. “I removed my miraculous when I returned Dusuu and Nooroo to the miraculous box. Tikki asked to stay with the other kwamis so she can help them readjust. Besides…” she turned her head and stared at the passing landscape through the car window.

“Besides…?”

“She missed Plagg a lot,” Marinette said finally.

A heavy, sorrowful silence filled the cabin. Marinette thought of many things to say to him, but nothing seemed the right thing to say. Unbeknownst to her, he was doing the same thing.

“I don’t judge you for leaving,” she said slowly, “I never did and never will. Actually, I understand why you did it. But… but you could have said goodbye...at least to me.”

She hated that her voice broke in the last sentence, indicating that she was on the verge of tears.

“I was your friend. I was your partner. I was your _fiancee_.”

“I know, Marinette. You can’t imagine how much I’ve hated myself since I left you. It’s just that when I took off his brooch, I wanted to use my cataclysm on his face. I wanted to make him pay for every monstrous thing he did, and not just the stuff he did as Papillon. I wanted Gabriel to pay, as well. I wanted him to suffer mainly because he was Gabriel Agreste, and I thought it would be dangerous to stand by your side while I still felt like this.”

“I know you were suffering, but I could have helped,” she said, “Why didn’t you let me help you?”

“Because I didn’t want to drag you into the abyss with me.”

She looked at him in disbelief. If he hadn't driving and if there hadn't been the risk of causing an accident, then she would have pushed him out of the car.

“So that's your excuse for disappearing for ten years? You didn’t want to drag me into the abyss with you?”

“Marinette…”

“Because, Adrien, I was already in the abyss with you. Yes, Papillon was your father, but he was going to be my father-in-law. He was the father of the man of my life. He was my mentor.”

“The pain is not the same, Marinette,” he said with a tone that suggested sarcasm. (This only enraged her more.)

She had been doing so well, hiding her anger deep inside and focusing more on the joy and relief of getting Adrien back, but he _had_ to go and mess it up with those lame excuses.

“I know it’s not, Adrien, but you made me a promise. It was supposed to be me and you against the world...always.” She spat the words out and felt a little proud when he stiffened. “You promised you would marry me and that we would be next to each other. You said that we would stand by each other's sides no matter how big the difficulty was. And guess what?” she furiously threw her hands up despite the size of the space they were in. “The first major difficulty that comes our way, what did you do? Run away. You ran away for ten damn years!”

The last words she spoke seemed to echo throughout the car.

She shivered and felt tears of anger form in her eyes. With all the willpower in the world, she held them back. She wouldn’t cry in front of him once more. He had already made her shed too many tears.

“Stop the car,” she ordered.

“What? Marinette—”

“Stop the car, Adrien.”

He obeyed her, and when the car stopped, Marinette opened the door and got out. She didn’t care if the clothes she was wearing weren’t warm enough for her to walk in the snowy weather. She just needed to get away from that car and Adrien so she could breathe a little.

The cold wind threw her hair back as she tried to situate herself and remember the way to her house.

“Marinette,” he called, causing her to turn toward him, “Get back in the car, you’re going to freeze.”

“I won’t,” she said stubbornly.

However, as if her body was betraying her, she raised her hands to her mouth and blew out hot air in an attempt to warm them.

“I know you’re mad at me, but…”

“ _Mad_?” she gasped, “I’m not _just_ mad at you. I’m hurt. I’m in disbelief. I’m heartbroken. You abandoned me, and you didn’t give me any news about your life. The only news I had from you was because your cousin took pity on me and told me where you were living. That's when I started sending all those letters in an attempt to reach out to you, but you ignored them all. Did you get any of them?”

“I got all of them,” he said, looking down.

“And you never thought to answer them? Not even one just to tell me you were alive and well? Or, I don’t know, to say you didn’t want to be bothered by me or your past and would rather leave everything behind?”

“I just needed to get away from Paris and all memories for a while. I never imagined it would be for as long as it was. I thought you would understand.”

“I do! I do understand why you decided to go, but…you could have told me something. You could have told me that you were leaving. I would have supported your decision. In fact, I would have tried to help you first.”

“If I had told you, and you asked me to stay, I would have stayed. And I couldn’t do that to you, my lady. It had already been hell to live away from here all those years, but trust me, if I was in Paris, it would be infinitely worse.”

“I would have gone with you.”

“I know.” He gave her a sad smile. “That’s exactly why I didn’t say anything to you. You would have dropped everything to go with me, and I couldn’t allow that to happen. You had a life here. You had dreams and plans. You'd gotten the fashion scholarship you wanted and even an internship. I couldn’t ruin it all because of what happened.”

“My life was you!” she shouted into the wind, growing angrier at his words.

Was he really that stupid? Did he really think she would rather go to college than be with him? That she would regret leaving everything to go away with him, to be by his side at such a difficult time in his life? Did he really think it had been better for her stay in Paris while he suffered alone?

She approached him, and they stood face-to-face. The way he looked at her told her that yes, he really thought all those things.

“I wouldn’t make your life a living hell because mine was one. I needed to deal with it alone.”

“Alone.” she laughed scornfully as tears streamed down her cheeks, “What about our five-year partnership? Did that mean nothing to you? We were supposed to do everything together. Don’t you remember telling me that all the time? 'Together 'til the end'?”

He kept silent, allowing her to scream and cry all the feelings that had been accumulating in her chest for ten years.

“I thought we were meant for each other. I thought that we were going to be together forever and that we would face it all together...the good and the bad moments. Did you actually mean that? Did you _lie_ to me?”

“I didn’t mean to make you suffer,” he said at last.

“You made me suffer by leaving me behind!” she shouted, punching his chest as she cried.

He didn’t move. He merely allowed her to release the anger and the hurt she felt from all he'd done to her. Adrien just watched as she punched him and cried and cried and cried—

And then she stopped punching him, reached into his hair and pulled him down, and brought his mouth to hers.

Marinette kissed Adrien with love, desire, longing, affection, as well as all the hurt, sadness, and anger she felt. She put every feeling, good or bad, that she felt for Adrien-her _chaton_ , her partner, her soul mate, her lover-in that kiss.

She gasped as he reciprocated with the same intensity and the same feelings. He nipped her mouth hard as he stepped forward, making her take a step backward, forcing her to trust that he wouldn't let her fall.

Adrien pushed her against the hood of the car and she lay back on the thin layer of ice that had formed. It clung to her clothes, but she didn’t care. She just spread her legs, giving him room to lean over her and kiss her once again.

He mumbled something while fighting against her scarf, but then stopped when she shivered. He stroked his arms over her coat and all desire was replaced by concern.

“What I was thinking?” he grunted. “There's snow all over you. Let’s go to your house and warm you up before you get sick just because I can’t control myself.”

“I didn’t stop you either,” she said, letting him guide her into the car. Adrien opened the door for her. He then got into the car, turned on the heater, and took off his coat.

“Take yours off and put on mine,” he said, handing it to her.

“But what about you?”

“Don’t worry,” he said gently.

She put his coat and was immediately enveloped by his warmth and scent.

With Marinette’s directions, they soon arrived at her apartment. The ride on the elevator was silent. Both tried to contain the urge to throw themselves into each other’s arms because they still had much to talk about.

As they entered the apartment, she locked the door, removed his coat, and hung it on the hook.

“I’ll change my clothes,” she said, “I’ll be back soon, okay?”

“Sure.”

“Make yourself comfortable.” she smiled, crossed the room, walked through one of the doors down the hall, and closed it behind her.

Adrien stood in the living room and looked around. Her place was small but cozy. The couch looked pretty comfortable, and there was a soft blanket along with some throw pillows. It looked as if she’d been lying there watching television all day.

He took a deep breath, trying to fend off the memories of their lazy Sunday afternoons that were spent nestled on the couch under the covers while watching anime and movies. He remembered the video games, the conversations, the patrols, the laughter, and the kisses. Most of all, he remembered the nights where they snuck into each other’s rooms to sleep together or talk about nothing and everything until dawn.

He had lost it all when he'd given into his fears. He chose to face the consequences that came with knowing the identity of the great villain alone...even though he had promised his lady that they would face it all together.

Adrien was regretting his actions, and the last letter she had sent to him a month ago was tucked in the pocket of his pants. The letter that had made him open his eyes and see that he was losing the woman in his life.

He had read each letter. Each one made him cry and laugh several times. Many of them had made him start packing his bags and researching flight prices for Paris. But he always gave up because he was afraid of how she would react when he returned. Whether she would allow him back into her life or turn him away because he'd hurt her so badly that she no longer wanted to see him anymore.

Adrien shouldn’t have been afraid. The fact that she sent him a letter every month telling him about her life, about her friends, and about the little things she had done (like starting a garden one month and killing a plant the next month) should have been proof enough that she loved him and that she hadn't given him up.

And the fact that she always ended each letter by saying that if he didn’t want to hear from her, all he needed to do was warn her or send the letter back so she would know to stop. He never answered her, but never returned the letters either.

It was good to know that she still thought of him and that she still loved him. When she’d wrote she wore the engagement ring he’d given her on a necklace all the time, he decided it was time to finally come home.

At that very moment, he'd picked up his cell phone and scheduled the first possible flight to Paris.

When he had returned to his lady—to Marinette—he knew that this time he wouldn’t run away.

Marinette returned a few minutes later, wearing a T-shirt and sweatpants. Her hair was in a ponytail.

“Would you like something to eat?” she asked, “I think I have all the ingredients to make some kind of pasta dish.”

“Oh no, I’m full and—”

“He’s full, but I’m not!” Plagg said, finally coming out from Adrien’s coat, “I sleep for a few hours, and I wake up to find you denying food, kid? Especially when you've eaten nothing all day?”

“Plagg, please,” Adrien begged.

“You didn't eat?” Marinette said worriedly, frowning for a few seconds but melting completely as she approached Plagg, “Hello, _chaton_.”

“ _Ma Princesse_.” Plagg bowed, smiling and purring as Marinette scratched his chin with her fingernail. “It’s good to see you again.”

“I agree.”

“Tikki?” He asked softly.

Marinette pointed to the door she had entered earlier. “She's in the miraculous box. Go and see her. Adrien and I are going to talk.”

“Talk or yell at each other what you didn’t earlier? Your shouting woke me up from my nap.” He pretended to be carefree, but Adrien knew his kwami’s worried voice.

“We’re going to talk. I promise.”

Plagg nodded and wrapped his tail around her finger for a few seconds. He then flew off to Marinette’s room.

When the two were alone again, she looked at Adrien, suddenly feeling shy. “So...dinner?”

*

After filling themselves with pasta and wine, they carried what was left of the wine and glasses to the couch, sat facing each other, and began talking.

They talked about the ten years they spent apart from each other. They told each other what they did, what they had achieved, and what they had lost. They spoke about their friends and Marinette told him about her family. They talked about how no matter how hard they tried, they could never forget or truly abandon each other. Adrien told her what it was like to work as a model. She was happy to hear that he was doing it by choice now. Marinette talked about the store and all her creations.

She gave more details about her friends and her heart ached when she learned that Adrien had no friends, only colleagues. It saddened her to know that he didn’t feel good about opening up to anyone because deep down everyone looked at him as if he were just the son of the great villain of Paris.

“You’re not just your father’s son, Adrien,” she stated, approaching him. She reached out, clutched his chin, and made him face her. “You’re an amazing man. You're sweet, kind, lovely, and funny. Anyone who knows you can see this, but you need to open up.”

“The only people I wanted in my life were far away because I chose to run away. I ran because I was scared of spending the rest of my life here in Paris...where everyone would look at me and think about my father.”

“Why did you run away, Adrien? Please be honest with me.”

“Mari, I…I can’t explain. I just didn’t feel myself anymore. I wasn’t me, and I still don’t feel like me. I got mad, and I couldn’t let you see me like that. I was afraid you would see me and be disgusted because I was his son.”

“Oh, _chaton_ , I would never feel that way.”

“I hated myself…for being his son. For living with him, in his house, and never seeing who he was. I hated myself for wanting him to love me and spend more time with me. I hated myself for wishing for your attention and your love.”

“Adrien, you don’t have to hate yourself. You’re not guilty of your father's crimes.”

“I know I'm not, but…sometimes it’s hard to accept,” he said, crying.

With her heart aching, she grabbed her bag from the coffee table and pulled out a handkerchief. She offered it to Adrien who accepted it and dried his tears.

“Please, don’t cry. I hate to see you cry,” she mumbled, approaching slowly as if he wanted to push her away—but he didn’t.

He nodded and wiped his tears. “I left you because I’m a coward. I should have stayed, and we could have faced it all together. Do you hate me? Now, I'm asking you to be honest.”

“No," she said without hesitation, causing him to look up in surprise, “I could never hate you, Adrien, because I love you. I love you inexplicably and intensely, and this love makes me feel alive and complete. I thought I lost you, and because of that, I almost died inside.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to hurt you. Forgive me, Marinette. Please, I’m begging you, forgive me.”

“I know you didn’t mean to hurt me, my love, and of course, I forgive you.” She put her head on his shoulder. “I just want to leave the past behind, Adrien. What happened has already happened. Unfortunately, we can’t change the past, but the future? Yes, that we can change. And you changed when you decided to come back to me.”

“And you did the same when you didn’t give up on me.” He clasped their hands together. “Could you…” he hesitated.

“Could I…?”

“Could you hold me? I always felt better when you did that.”

“Of course,” she said, leaning her back against the arm of the couch and opening her arms to him.

Adrien laid on her and placed his head on her chest. He breathed in deeply and listened to his lady’s heartbeat. They stayed like this for a while.

She gently stroked his hair. “Promise me that you won’t leave me.”

“I promise,” he said, still listening to her heart, “I promise. I promise. I promise. I promise—”

His last sentence was interrupted by Marinette’s lips crashing against his. He returned the kiss and held her tightly against him.

This kiss was not the same as the one they'd shared earlier. The kiss they’d exchanged in the snow was full of hurt, restrained desire, and anger. This one tasted like forgiveness, longing, and everlasting love. It tasted like a kiss that said that they would do everything right, side by side, no matter the obstacle.

Far away, they heard bells ringing. Twelve perfect chimes pierced through the night. Her breathlessness caused her to break the kiss, but she kept her forehead against his. Their faces were so that she could feel his breath against her face.

Adrien looked at his wrist, saw that it was midnight, and then looked into Marinette's eyes.

“Merry Christmas, my lady.”

“Merry Christmas, _chaton_.”

*

The first time Marinette woke up that night was because Adrien picked her up and took her to bed. She'd fallen asleep on him on the couch.

Adrien carried her bridal style. She rested her head on his shoulder. Still sleepy, she sighed and snuggled into him. He kissed her on the top of the head before rising from the couch and carrying her to the bed.

However, when he deposited her, she wrapped her arms around his neck and dragged him onto the bed beside her. Adrien sighed in exasperation, but then she heard his soft laugh. She smiled and turned toward him.

“Don’t go,” she pleaded, “Don’t make me sleep alone.”

“Mari…”

“The bed has space, and I want you next to me. _Please_."

Adrien looked at her briefly before nodding. They both settled under Marinette’s blanket and she was surprised when he hugged her from behind and buried his face in her hair.

They were cuddling.

Yes, they had kissed on the couch a few hours before bed and had even decided that they would be together, but they hadn’t yet decided on what their relationship was going to be.

The only certainty that Marinette had was that if he asked to kiss her again, she would say yes without hesitation.

“Adrien?” she said, finally gaining courage.

“Yes?”

“What happened on the couch...do you regret it?”

“No,” he answered without hesitation, “I would kiss you again and again and again. I would kiss you as many times as I could...as many times as you would allow me to.”

She felt emotion fill her chest, rising to the point of locking her throat. Unable to speak, she turned and looked at him through the moonlight coming through the window.

Analyzing her reaction, he placed a hand on her cheek and brought her face close to his in an invitation. She sighed with relief as he kissed her.

“I still love you, my lady,” he said as he broke the kiss, his forehead pressing against hers. “I still love you, and I don't think I’ll ever stop loving you.”

“That’s great, _mon chaton_ , because I feel the same way.”

He covered her with kisses and caressed her face until she slept.

*

The second time Marinette woke up, the side of the bed where Adrien was supposed to be sleeping was empty.

Desperation washed over her as she sat up and turned on the lamp. She looked around the room and saw that it deserted.

“Adrien?” she called, feeling her heart race faster and faster in her chest.

It had been a dream. It had all been a dream. Adrien hadn’t returned from London, they hadn’t talked, and he hadn’t stayed when she asked. They hadn’t kissed, he hadn’t said he loved her, and he hadn't promised that he would stay by her side and—

“Marinette?” his voice filled her ears and made all the darkness and fear disappear instantly. He set down a glass of water on the nightstand and sat on the corner of the bed. “Hey, love.” He brushed her sweaty hair from the front of her face and she saw his expression crumble. “Don’t cry...please.”

“I thought you were gone...or that it had all been a dream.” She swallowed against a dry throat.

Adrien bent over, picked up the glass of water, and handed it to her.

“I was thirsty,” he frowned, “I’m sorry if I scared you.”

She nodded, and with his encouragement, she took a few sips of water. When she was done, she handed the glass back to Adrien. He then finished drinking it and set it on the coffee table.

“What time is it?” she asked.

“It’s still early. We still have time to sleep,” he replied, sliding under the sheets and situating himself next to her. “Come here.” He spread out his arms, inviting her to nestle with him.

Marinette turned off the lamp and accepted his invitation.

*

The third time she woke up, everything was still dark and Adrien was sleeping soundly beside her.

Marinette stared at the ceiling, letting her eyes get used to the darkness. She didn’t know what had woken her up, but for some reason, she couldn’t fall asleep again. She turned, picking up her cell phone from the nightstand and saw that it was only two-forty in the morning.

She moaned, returned her phone to its rightful place, and returned to cuddling Adrien. She tried to sleep, but she couldn’t quiet her brain long enough for her to fall asleep.

She stayed quiet for too long. Losing her patience, she once again grabbed her cell phone. She sighed when she saw that it only fifteen minutes had passed. Holding back the urge to grunt, she began to caress Adrien’s chest and slowly rise towards his lips.

She began to caress his face with her thumb, feeling the sting of day-old stubble and the softness of his mouth. It was a mouth she wanted to kiss over and over again. It was a mouth that had a taste she was addicted to and could no longer forget.

Adrien opened one sleepy eye and smiled when he saw her watching him.

“Hey,” he said groggily.

“Hey...not to be creepy or anything, but seeing you sleep makes me feel so hot inside.”

“Hmm, that’s great...because I feel the same way when I watch you sleep.”

“You’re a fool, _mon chaton_.”

“I absolutely melt when you call me that. Please, say it again.”

She laughed and moved her body closer to his.

“ _Mon chaton_ …” she said, kissing the corner of his mouth.

Adrien winced.

“ _Mon chaton_ …” she said, once again kissing the other corner of his mouth.

This time he grunted.

“ _Mon chaton_ …” This time, she kissed his nose.

“You’re teasing me,” he pouted, causing her to laugh and nod her head, “This is unfair, you know?”

“But don’t you understand? That’s the fun of it, _mon chaton_!”

She pulled him towards her by the collar of his shirt, kissing him hard. Adrien returned her gesture with the same intensity by placing his hands on her face and bending to deepen the kiss.

He nibbled on her bottom lip as he pushed her gently against the bed, lying over her. Marinette hugged him with her arms and legs and held him against her. Without words, he told her that he would never leave her again...that he would stay beside her just as he had promised.

Their hands began to explore each other’s bodies and remove items of clothing that were in the way. The kisses became longer, sloppier, hotter, and more intense.

They made love and became one once again.

*

The fourth time Marinette woke up was from the gentle pressure of Adrien covering her with the blanket and kissing her on the top of her head. They were both still naked, but too tired to worry about simple things like clothes.

She was so tired and so sleepy that she just put her hand over his, brought it to her chest, and allowed him to feel the steady thrum of her heartbeat. He gave her one more kiss on the top of her head (a kiss that sounded pretty sleepy) and nestled against Marinette.

She couldn’t tell which one of them fell asleep first.

*

The fifth and last time Marinette woke up that night, it was daytime.

The smell of freshly-brewed coffee had woken her up.

Confused, she stood up and looked to her side. Other than her, the bed was empty. Adrien’s jeans were no longer on the floor. They had been thrown to the side during their activity last night.

She picked up his sweater, put it on, and padded into the kitchen to investigate the strong coffee smell.

Upon walking into the kitchen, she was met by the sight of Adrien standing in front of her coffee maker, waiting for a cup of coffee to finish brewing. His hair was a mess, and he was wearing only his jeans. His bare feet were planted on the floor like he was already used to it.

She stopped at the doorjamb, leaned against it, and watched him. He was beautiful, and he fit perfectly into the kitchen and her life. She decided that if he wanted to, he could stay forever.

“Good morning,” she said.

He turned and the smile he gave her was enough to brighten her day.

“Good morning, princess. Coffee?”

“Please,” she agreed, approaching him. Adrien wrapped his arm around her waist and handed his cup to Marinette. She promptly took it and took a long drink. “Do you want something to eat?”

“What do you suggest?” He took the cup back from her and took another sip.

“Pancakes?”

“Sure.” He nodded like a child at Christmas. “Can I help you?”

“Absolutely,” she smiled, giving him a peck, “I’ll get the ingredients.”

As if they were once again fighting an akuma, they moved in sync around the kitchen. For fun, they added a variety of things to the pancake batter, such as cookies and colorful sprinkles.

“Try it, and tell me if it’s okay,” she said, dipping the spoon into the batter. Adrien leaned over and opened his mouth to taste it, but instead of placing the spoon in his mouth, she ran it over his nose.

He gasped in outrage and looked at her as if she had just committed a deadly crime. Marinette just stood next to and laughed.

“Oh, is that so?” he said, smiling mischievously as he pulled the pasta bowl full of batter off the counter next to him.

Marinette stopped laughing, widened her eyes, and backed away slowly.

“Adrien…you wouldn’t do that to me, right?” she said, trying to contain her laughter as they circled the kitchen island, always keeping it between them. “You wouldn’t dirty your lady, would you?”

“Put the spoon down, Bug, and no one gets hurt.”

“Only when you put that bowl on the island.”

“So let’s do it together. On three, all right?”

She nodded, laughing.

“One,” he began.

“Two.”

“Three!”

On three, Marinette jumped over the island, prepared to throw herself at him somehow. However, as if Adrien was expecting it, he set the bowl on the island, grabbed her around the waist, and in the newly-made mess, they both fell onto the floor.

Their laughter echoed around the kitchen as she tried to get off him. Adrien grunted and stroked his forehead.

“Oh my God!” she shouted, raising her hands to his forehead and brushing his hair away. “Did you get hurt?!”

“It’s just sore. You hit me on the forehead.”

“I’m so sorry,” she said, feeling guilty when she saw the redness on his skin.

“I think a kiss will make it better,” he said, blinking provocatively.

She rolled her eyes, leaned over, and kissed his forehead.

Adrien sighed and then took her chin in his hand, pulled her close, and gave her a long kiss to her lips. She hugged him, settled in his lap, and sat with his legs between hers.

She shuddered as he began to kiss her cheek, slowly moving his lips it down to her neck. With one hand, he brushed her hair from her neck. His other hand settled on her leg, touching her inside his sweater...that she was wearing.

When he put his hand on her hip, he stopped the kisses and froze. Marinette blinked in confusion.

“What is it?”

“If I had known that my sweater was the only thing you were wearing, I wouldn’t have agreed to make pancakes with you. We would be doing something else right now.”

She laughed, kissing him again. They started to get lost in the kiss, but they halted when they heard a throat clearing next to them. As if they were eighteen again, she got off his lap and tried to straighten her sweater (which Adrien had managed to rumple) while he tried to straighten his hair (which she had messed up).

“It’s good to see you two getting along,” Plagg said, holding Ladybug’s earrings in his hands, “But Tikki wants to see Adrien.”

Marinette turned to Adrien, who nodded excitedly at the notion. Trembling with excitement, she took the miraculous from Plagg’s hands and put them on.

They sparkled and her kwami appeared before her, smiling broadly.

“Marinette!” Tikki shouted, flying up to her holder and nuzzling her cheek. “Hello, Adrien!”

Marinette smiled, feeling tears in her eyes as Tikki covered Adrien with caresses and kisses. She noted that Adrien was also on the verge of tears.

“He’s so handsome, isn’t he, Marinette?”

“Yes.” Marinette smiled as she saw Adrien blush.

“You two are so beautiful! It’s good to see you two together again!” Tikki commented, approaching Plagg and snuggling into his side, “I can’t believe they’re together again.”

“It was hard,” Plagg commented as Adrien hugged Marinette from behind, kissing her cheek.

“But it worked out in the end,” Adrien commented, giving her another kiss on the cheek.

“Urgh, there they go again. We are hungry! Feed us!”

“Plagg!” Tikki complained.

“But it’s the truth, sugarcube. If we let them begin this stuff before they feed us, they will never stop. And I need to eat, just like you do.”

“Okay, okay,” Marinette laughed, “Let’s eat then.”

They finished the pancakes, opened a package of cookies for Tikki, and grabbed cheddar from the fridge for Plagg. They ate and talked. Marinette was surprised when Adrien asked about Nooroo and if the kwami would be willing to talk to him later.

Tikki was talking about Nooroo’s progress when Marinette’s cell phone rang. Excusing herself, she answered Alya’s call.

“Hey, girl, where are you?” Alya asked.

In the background, Marinette could hear talking and music.

“At home…?”

“Marinette, have you forgotten?! The Christmas lunch at your parents’ house is today. Almost everyone is here helping!”

She facepalmed, remembering that she had promised to help her parents with lunch.

“I forgot!”

“Dear Lord, girl. You scare me sometimes. How could you have forgotten? You never forget these things.”

“I was distracted,” she said, scratching her neck as she looked at the kitchen, where Adrien laughed while he played with Tikki.

“And what could possibly be so interesting that it distracted you? The only thing I can imagine is a certain blonde coming back from London, but I doubt that happened and…”

Marinette gasped and began to cough, causing Adrien to leave the kitchen and worriedly stand next to her.

“Mari?” he asked.

Marinette knew Alya had heard Adrien because she was silent on the other end of the line.

“Water,” Marinette hissed (Adrien nodded and left to fetch her some water), “Alya…?”

“Is he there?”

“He is. He decided to come back for good after reading my letter.”

“Oh. This…this is…”

“I’m happy,” Marinette said finally. “I’m glad he’s back, and he said he won’t leave if I want him to stay...and I _really_ want him to stay.”

“Well, then, in that case, I hope he does stay.”

“He will, Alya. I’m sure of it. Do you know who would also be very happy to see him again? Nino.”

“Yes, he would,” Alya sighed.

“And you, too. You would be very happy to see him, wouldn’t you?”

“Yes, I would.”

“And my parents. I’m sure they miss Adrien, as well.”

“They do.”

“So…see you soon, okay?”

“All right, girl. See you both later. Bye.”

Marinette hung up the phone and shivered. Adrien returned with a glass of water in his hands and a worried look on his face.

“Is everything all right?”

“Adrien, I want to invite you to something, and you don’t have to accept if you don’t want to.”

“What is it, my lady?”

My parents are making a Christmas lunch. Alya, Nino and some of our former colleagues will be there and… everyone would be very happy if you come with me...but only if you want to, Adrien.”

He swallowed hard and she took his hand. The two exchanged a look full of affection and confidence, and Adrien slowly nodded his head.

“I just need to get my suitcase from the car first.”

*

He hesitated in front of the bakery door and Marinette stood facing him.

“We don’t have to go in if you don’t want to.”

“I want to,” he said decisively, “It’s just… it’s been ten years. What if they hate me?”

Marinette smiled sweetly and held his face in both her hands.

“No one hates you, _chaton_. In fact, we all missed you. Every day of our lives. We’re glad you chose to stay. It’s our Christmas miracle. You came back to us. It's the start of a new life...a turned page.”

“Will you be by my side?”

She took his hand and intertwined their fingers.

“Always,” she said, standing on her tiptoes to give him a quick kiss, “One time, when I was feeling alone and doubting myself, someone told me it was me and him against the world.”

He smiled, feeling infinitely better.

“As always,” he added.

“Exactly,” she murmured sweetly, letting him kiss her once more, “Okay...if you keep kissing me like that, we won’t get out of here.”

“Not a bad idea” he joked.

She laughed, moving away from him a little. “Ready?”

“With you by my side, my lady, I’m ready for anything.”

“May I say something?” she said as she put her hand on the doorknob.

“Sure.”

“You coming back to me? It’s the best Christmas present I've ever received.” Smiling once again, she opened the bakery door.

And Adrien was welcomed with open arms by his friends and his new family.


End file.
